From the Eastern Shores of Maryland to the Carolinas and Georgia:

Some 18^th- and 19^th-Century Descendants of William Arnett 1668-1734

By Betty Helms and Mike Arnett

The purpose of this paper is to name and identify the family of William ARNETT 1668-1734 (William 1668 ARNETT) and his wife, Anne, of Third Haven (now Tred Avon) Creek, Talbot County, Maryland and the migration path that some of their descendants took as they left Maryland and moved to North and South Carolina, Georgia and beyond in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries.

Early research work of more than 20 years ago by William Morgan V, Elizabeth Herrington, Casey Arnette, Linda Baker, Susan Aldridge, “Red” Nunnally, Judy Robinson Fuse, Walter Cullars III, Walter L. Cullars, John W. Arnett and many others laid the groundwork for present-day (June 2023) researchers Mike Arnett, Betty Helms and Rene Hitt to build on and update their work. Advances in DNA have enabled us to link the various lines as they moved about from location to location.

We created a family group for William 1668 ARNETT using evidence found in Maryland’s Talbot and Dorchester Counties; Maryland court documents; land grants, memorials, and plats of the Carolinas; the migration path from MD to the Carolinas and Georgia; John W. Arnett's Arnett Forest website; interaction between family members; census records; implied marriages and other relationships; and DNA. Because the same given names appear in multiple generations and to help the reader keep track of when individuals lived, the year of birth is often inserted in the name. For brevity, the Arnett surname is often omitted when the year of birth is used with the first name.

William 1668 first appears in the historical record with the recording of his first child John’s birth and baptism 11 Aug 1698 in Michael’s Parish, Talbot County, MD (see below). Four other children are recorded in St. Michael’s. We found no evidence that he had other children.

The first record of William 1668 other than his children’s birth and baptism records was a land record for the purchase of 63 acres of land on 17 Nov 1702. He purchased it from Phillip Massey, a planter in Talbot County, Maryland, and his wife Elinor, for 5000 pounds of tobacco. The parcel had been a part of the plantation called Tilghman's Fortune. Based on analysis of the boundaries of the parcel and the parcels surrounding it, using maps of the period, our best estimate is that the 63 acres was in the vicinity of where the Target store is now, on the west side of Easton. On 20 Mar 1711, William sold the 63 acres to William Cowly. (Source: Massey Land Records 1659-1865 for Talbot County, Maryland.)

In 1711 and 1712, William Arnett was designated the road overseer for the road from the Miles River ferry to “where the bridge was to be built over the Tred Avon Creek.” The road still exists as Unionville Rd/MD-370. A bridge over the Miles River replaced the ferry. The present St. Michael’s Road bridge over the Tred Avon River at the intersection of Easton Parkway/MD-322 and St. Michael’s Road may be in the location where the bridge “was to be built.” Unionville and St. Michael’s Roads appear to follow the original routes, and the Tred Avon gets markedly wider and deeper just south of the bridge, arguing that the original bridge was in the current location. The Target mentioned above is just north of the current bridge.

The discovery of the “Land Overseer” records in the Hyattsville, MD Public Library in 1997 was the first indication that we might have found the progenitor of our Arnett line. Prior to that, all we knew was from William Washington Arnett’s “Reminiscences:” that the family had originally been on the Eastern Shores of Maryland, then moved to South Carolina, and then North Carolina. Subsequent genealogical research and DNA analysis confirmed that Road Overseer William was that progenitor and led to the creation of this paper.

On 7 Mar 1726, the sale of 82 acres by William 1668 Arnett and his wife, Anne, to a David Davis was recorded. (Source: Talbot County Land Record 1721-1734 Book P.F. 13, Pp. 339-340.)

The names of William 1668’s children, as recorded in the vital records of St. Michael's Parish in Talbot County, MD are:

1.     John ARNETT birth 11 Aug 1698 (John 1698 ARNETT), death about 1761.

2.     William ARNETT b. 4 Feb 1699 (William 1699 ARNETT), d. 1747 Dorchester County, MD;

3.     Thomas ARNETT b. 15 Dec 1701 (Thomas 1701 ARNETT), death unknown.

4.     Catherine ARNETT b. 15 Dec 1701 (Catherine 1701 ARNETT), death unknown, twin of Thomas.

5.     Daniel ARNETT b. 10 Dec 1702 (Daniel 1702 ARNETT), d. after May 1756. 

A John Arnett “aged abt. 66 yrs,” was mentioned in a court note in Dorchester County, MD in 1761, per jwa notes in Arnett Forest. That would make this John’s birth year approximately 1695. We therefore identify him as John 1698 ARNETT. We have discovered no evidence of wife or children for John 1698.

William 1699 ARNETT had four sons:

1.     Andrew, b. abt. 1718 Talbot County, MD, d. abt. 1769 Dorchester County, MD

2.     William b. abt. 1721 Talbot County, MD, d. abt. 1805 prob. Anson County, NC

3.     James b. 1725 Talbot County, MD, d. 1758 Dorchester County, MD

4.     John b. 1727 Talbot County, MD, d. Prince Frederick’s Parish (formerly Craven County), SC

In addition to the four sons, William 1721 may have had a daughter, Sarah ARNETT. She was born in about 1766 and died about 1801 in Anson County, NC. She married William Baker of Virginia in Charleston, South Carolina. In 1792, Sarah and William Baker lived on Brown Creek in Anson County, NC, near Peter 1768 and Sarah NEE? Arnett.

William 1699 ARNETT’s 1745 will and probate in Dorchester County, MD identifies several family members. An Andrew Arnett was named and identified as “son of William.” We believe the Andrew referred to is Andrew 1718. Anne NEE? Norman was named as a witness and identified as the wife of Andrew Arnett (believed to be Andrew 1718 ARNETT) as recorded in John W. Arnett’s “Arnett Forest” online compilation of Arnett references in the historical record. William 1699’s will was probated in Dorchester County, MD in 1747. Witnesses were Andrew 1718 ARNETT; John 1727 ARNETT and wife Margaret NEE? Phillips, who can later be found in Craven District [sic], SC; and Daniel 1702 ARNETT. The estate of James 1725 ARNETT was settled in 1758 in Dorchester County, Maryland. Andrew Arnett was named as the “nearest heir.” We infer from that relationship that Andrew was Andrew 1718 ARNETT, James’ brother. A third brother, William 1721 ARNETT, was named as one of the creditors. A John Arnett was also listed as another creditor regarding the estate. In the context, we believe that John was the brothers’ uncle, John 1698 ARNETT.

We know very little about Thomas 1701. He was a fraternal twin with his sister, Catherine. His presumed son, James 1736 was the progenitor of the Arnettsville clan of Arnetts. DNA analysis to date is not yet far enough along to link the Arnettsville descendants of James 1736 to the line of William 1668 ARNETT. We are seeking an Arnett male with reliable evidence of his Arnett father-line lineage from James 1736 to the present, to take a Y-DNA test to affirm or refute the Arnettsville clan’s genetic connection to William 1668 ARNETT.

We know nothing of Catherine beyond her birthdate and that she was a twin of Thomas. We hope DNA may eventually identify her line, but we will be relying on autosomal and mitochondrial DNA. As a female, she did not carry the Y chromosome to pass to her sons.

A Daniel Arnett appears on the 1748 Kent County, DE tax list. Evidence that this was Daniel 1702 ARNETT includes: The historical record cites no other Daniel Arnetts in Kent County, DE or in Talbot or Dorchester County, MD prior to 1790; Kent County, DE, was less than 30 miles east of Talbot County, MD, home of his parents; and Y-DNA ties this Daniel of Kent County, MD directly to his father William 1668 and not through any other of William 1668’s children. He last appeared in the historical record on the May 1756 Murderkill Hundred, Kent County, DE tax list. We have identified only one child of Daniel who migrated to the Carolinas or Georgia, his son Philemon. Philemon was born in 1724 in Maryland or Delaware, and last appeared in the historical record in 1788 in Wayne County, NC. He is assumed to have died in that year. Y-DNA analysis indicates he descends from William 1668 ARNETT through Daniel 1702. Philemon, Jr., was born about 1755 and died about 1808 in Robeson County, NC can later be found in 1790 in Prince George’s Parish, Georgetown District, SC. Both Philemon 1724 and Philemon 1755 can be found via census and land grants in Marion District, South Carolina, and in North Carolina in the Counties of Dobbs (later Lenoir) and Wayne County (earlier Dobbs). Philemon 1755 fought in the Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge, located in Pender County, NC and received a land grant in 1778 in Dobbs County, NC for his service. Philemon 1755 appears in census records of Robeson and Cumberland Counties of North Carolina. Zadock 1775 ARNETT, believed to be the son of Philemon 1755 was “of” Wayne County, NC (former Dobbs), and died about 1855 in Caddo Parish, Louisiana. Zadock was the three-times-great-grandfather (3XGGF) of Byron Roland. Byron’s Y-DNA results show he descends biologically from William 1668 ARNETT .

We now turn to the journey from Maryland’s Eastern Shore to the Carolinas and Georgia.

William 1721’s great grandson William Washington 1823 ARNETT of Franklin County, AL, grandson of John 1760 and son of David B. ARNETT states in his “Reminiscences” that the family “came from the Eastern Shores of Maryland to North Carolina by the way of South Carolina before the Revolutionary War.”

Most 20^th Century Arnett researchers believed Major William [Lewis] Arnett and son Captain Peter Arnett were born in Pennsylvania, William ca. 1717-1725 and Peter ca. 1745-1749. Our research leads us to believe Major William Arnett was William 1721 ARNETT, son of William 1699 ARNETT and born in Talbot or Dorchester County, MD around 1720; and Capt. Peter Arnett was William’s son Peter 1768 ARNETT, born between about 1766 and 1770 in Talbot or Dorchester County, MD, but possibly in Virginia or Pennsylvania. The following discussion explains our rationale.

In researching the Arnettsville, WV clan of Arnetts, we discovered that the progenitor of the clan was James Arnett, the son of Thomas 1701 ARNETT mentioned previously. Glenn Lough in Now and Long Ago, A History of the Marion County Area, reports that Sylvester Arnett (1846-1927) identified James as the first Arnett to live in the Monongalia Valley. James settled at (now) Arnettsville in 1789 and purchased land there in 1791. He was born to Thomas Arnett and unknown wife about 1736 and reared on his father’s homestead on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. (Incidentally, that statement was the spark that lit the flame that grew into the following discussion. Mike Arnett’s 2XGGF William Washington ARNETT stated in his writings that his family had come from the old Arnett homestead on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. The similarity in wording between the two accounts—specifically referencing an Arnett homestead on Maryland’s Eastern Shore—seemed too close to be coincidental and warranted investigation.) James lived in Virginia and Pennsylvania before settling at Arnettsville. We have since identified the location in Pennsylvania as Bedford County, on the Pennsylvania-West Virginia state line immediately north of the northeastern-most corner of West Virginia (which was Virginia at the time), and only 75 miles from Arnettsville. A now-lost account we saw some years ago said James was accompanied to Virginia and Pennsylvania by other, unidentified family members that did not accompany James to Arnettsville. We hypothesize those other relatives included James’ first cousin William 1721, son of James’ father Thomas’s brother William 1699; and that the party left Bedford County and followed the Great Wagon Road south. William 1721’s son Peter was born about 1766-1770 and could have been born in Maryland, Virginia or Pennsylvania. Over time, the story of the migration from Maryland’s Eastern Shore to Virginia to Bedford County, Pennsylvania to North Carolina may have been condensed to William and Peter’s being “of Pennsylvania” since that was the last place they were prior to the trip south, and “of Pennsylvania” was interpreted as “born in Pennsylvania” by later family historians.

Many sources, including Glenn Lough mentioned above, identify James 1736’s father as Thomas Arnett, ship’s master of the ship The Two Brothers. While that is a possibility, we have found no evidence to verify that. While the Choptank and Tred Avon Rivers were shipbuilding and repair hubs in the 17^th and 18^th centuries, ship’s master would seem to be an odd profession for the son of a planter to follow. British captains or ship’s masters did not typically work their way up the ranks from seaman to captain. There was clear division between officer and enlisted. Officers typically had officers’ training and were well-connected, such that the ship’s owner would place his full confidence in his master. William 1688 ARNETT is cited as a planter and owned a few parcels of land in Talbot County in the early 1700s, all under 100 acres. The path for one of his sons to become a ship’s master is quite unclear. What is clear is that there was a Thomas Arnett, ship’s master of The Two Brothers, who made at least several trans-Atlantic voyages, bringing immigrants from Europe to America. He and the ship are recorded as being in Philadelphia with passengers from the Upper Rhine River region (the Palatinate) who embarked in Rotterdam. 

There are several specifics that lend plausibility to the hypothesis that William 1721 and family made the MD-VA-PA-NC trip via the Great Wagon Road. First, the timing is right. The first evidence we have of William 1721’s presence in North Carolina is a 1774 land grant on Cribbs Creek, Anson County, NC. William applied for the grant on 13 Jan 1773; it was issued 25 Jul 1774. Though that is 15 years before James 1736 settled at Arnettsville in 1789, we do not have any record of how long James stayed in Bedford County, PA. His cousin and family could have departed 15 years before James settled in Arnettsville. We also have no record of William’s presence in Bedford County, but as the saying goes, “Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence.” But nor is it evidence of presence. Second, one route of the Great Wagon Road, also known as the Carolina Road in Virginia, was only about 20 miles east of Bedford County, PA, running south through Winchester and Roanoke, VA; on to Winston-Salem and Charlotte, NC; through South Carolina, and ultimately to Augusta, GA. Cribbs Creek in Anson County was only about 30 miles east of Charlotte, so it would have been very easy for William 1721 and his party to have departed the GWR near Charlotte and settle on Cribbs Creek.

The following are examples of evidence that supports the timeline of the migration of William 1721 and his sons from Maryland to the Carolinas:

On 29 June 1774, a land plat for 100 acres was recorded for a John Arnett in Craven County, SC. (Note: Craven County was formally disestablished in 1768, but the name was continued to be used well into the 19^th Century.) On 25 July 1774, a William Arnett received a land grant on Cribbs Creek in Anson County, NC, just across the state line from the former Craven County, SC. The proximity of John’s and William’s properties and the time frame the purchase and grant occurred lead us to believe the two grantees were John 1727 and his brother William 1721. The last record of John 1727’s presence in Maryland was in 1747. The last record of William 1721 in Maryland was 1758. The intervening years between 1758 and 1773 provided ample opportunity for the brothers to have migrated from Maryland to Virginia and Pennsylvania, then to the Carolinas in time to apply for a land grant in 1773.

William 1721 also made the following land purchases or received land grants as recorded in the 1784-1788 South Carolina State Plats Index: 1784, 100 acres purchased on Indian Branch in Cheraws District, SC; 1785, 100 acres purchased on Indian Branch, Black Creek, SC; 1786, land grant, location unspecified; 1787, land grant, location unspecified; 1787, 150 acres purchased on Black Creek; and, 1788, purchase of 150 acres on Black Creek. Those purchases are consistent with William Washington ARNETT’s account that his father, David B. ARNETT, son of John, was born in South Carolina in 1785.

The 1769 estate settlement of Andrew 1718 ARNETT notes that he was married to Ann Norman. According to Earl Arnett’s notes in Arnett Album, 1983, Andrew 1718 ARNETT married the widow of Thomas Norman: “Paid to Thomas Norman, Representative of Thomas Norman of Dorchester County, deceased, with whose widow said Andres (Andrew) intermarried.” We identify her as Anne NEE? Norman Arnett, born about 1732. Children of Andrew 1718 ARNETT and Anne were:

1.     Andrew 1737 ARNETT, late 1792 Caswell/Stokes County, NC.

2.     James abt. 1740 ARNETT, late 1801 Caswell County, NC.

3.     Joseph 1760 ARNETT, late 1846 Green County, KY.

4.     Henry abt. 1760 ARNETT, late 1840 Dorchester County, MD.

5.     Levi abt. 1765 ARNETT and late 1810 prob. Dorchester, MD.

6.     Margaret 1765-1769

In her paper “Arnette, Stephens, Quearns, Sherrill, SPEARS, and Catchings Families of SC and Wilkes County, Georgia,” Susan Aldridge states, “Edward Stephens settled an estate in Dorchester County, MD in 1769.” That estate can be identified as that of Andrew 1718 ARNETT. Maryland Probate Court. Named in the estate are James, Levi, Margaret, Andrew, Joseph, and Henry.

William 1721’s birthdate is not disclosed in the historical record. We chose 1717 as the earliest probable date his father, William 1699, would have fathered him, at age 18; and 1725 as a reasonable latest date William 1699 would have fathered a first child, at age 26. We chose 1721 as the midpoint of the 1717-1725 range. William 1721 last appears in the historical record in the 1800 Fayetteville, Anson County, NC, but he did not appear in the 1810 census. We therefore estimated his year of death as 1805, the midpoint between 1800 and 1810. We do not include Lewis as William 1721’s middle name, as some previous researchers have done. The use of middle names was uncommon at the time of his birth and we have found no source for Lewis.

It’s certainly possible that William 1721 was not the first child born, and could have been born as late as 1737, based on the year of birth of his presumed first child, David, born no later than 1755 (David was at least 45 in the 1800 census). See the discussion about David later in this paper. According to the “Abstract of pensions of North Carolina soldiers of the Revolution, War of 1812 & Indian Wars,” John’s birthdate was 20 Jun 1760. The same document states that at the time of John’s May 6, 1833 application for pension, William is cited as his brother and was 66 years of age, yielding a birthyear of 1767. Previous researchers believed Peter was born about 1745. We do not know what that was based on and found no evidence for it. Based on the 1800, 1810, 1820 and 1830 censuses for Peter Arnett in Anson County, NC, the earliest he could have been born was 1766 and the latest 1770. We therefore have selected the middle of the range, 1768, as his identifying birth year, recognizing that actually represents a range.

William 1721 ARNETT served in the Revolutionary War, enlisting 30 Oct 1775 in the Volunteer Company of Colleton County of Foot Soldiers under Capt Andrew Cummings. For his service, he received two land grants in 1786 in South Carolina per “1786: Index to SC Land Grants pg 36, Vol 11” and “1787 pg 327, Vol 19.” Though some previous researchers have reported him as a major, his enlistment in Capt Cummings’ company argues against his being an officer at all, much less a major. It’s possible he was commissioned and rose to the rank of major in the War of 1812.

Previous researchers have reported that son David ARNETT also served and was killed in the Battle of Savannah in 1775, but no documentation for that service or death has been found.

Peter 1768 would have been between 7 and 15 during the Revolution. He may have served near the end of the war, but there is no record of that. If so, he certainly was not a captain. It’s possible he was a captain in the War of 1812, but we have not discovered any proof of that.

John 1760 ARNETT, per the Abstract of Pensions of North Carolina Soldiers of the Revolution, War of 1812 and Indian Wars, enlisted in the North Carolina Militia in July of 1776 while a resident of Anson County, NC. He served three months as a private in Capt John Culpepper’s company in Col David Love’s North Carolina regiment. In April 1799, while living in Chesterfield County, SC he enlisted for three months as a private in Capt McManis’ company in Col. Hicks’ South Carolina Regiment. His grandson William Washington ARNETT reported that he (John 1760) had served with famed General Francis “Swamp Fox” Marion. However, a close look at the records revealed that at the time of John’s service, Marion was recovering from a broken leg suffered in a jump from a second floor window as he successfully evaded British forces. Marion took command of Col Hicks’ regiment after John 1760’s enlistment was over. It’s easy to understand how, over a couple of generations, “served in the same unit Gen Marion later commanded” morphed into “served in the same unit as Gen Marion,” and then into “served with Gen Marion during the Revolution.” In his “Reminiscences,” John 1760’s grandson William Washington 1823 Arnett mentioned that his grandfather and his grandfather’s brothers fought in the Revolution. Peter and William were to young to have fought, so we interpret William Washington’s use of the plural “brothers” as a misunderstanding—it should have been his grandfather and a brother.

William 1721 Arnett’s children were:

1.     Peter Arnett abt. 1768 Maryland’s Eastern Shore - 1833 Anson County, NC

2.     David Arnett abt. 1755 Maryland’s Eastern Shore - 1805 Anson County, NC

3.     John Arnett 1760 Maryland’s Eastern Shore - 1840 Screven County, GA

4.     Sarah Arnett abt. 1766 Maryland’s Eastern Shore - 1808 Anson County, NC

5.     William Arnett 1767 Maryland’s Eastern Shore - before 1840 Screven County, GA

The mother(s) of the children are unknown.

  Peter Arnett appears in the Dobbs County, NC 1790 census and in the four Anson County censuses between 1800 and 1830. Analysis of the census information reveals Peter had to have been born between 1766 and 1770. We chose to use the midpoint, 1668, recognizing it represents a range. In correspondence between Mrs. Georgia Arnett Bonds and the Fairfield [SC] Genealogical Society, Mrs. Bonds cites a Peter Arnett’s date of birth of 30 Nov 1749. She does not cite the source of the information, but the citation of a specific date argues for a credible source. However, the 1749 DOB conflicts with the 1790-1830 census information discussed above. For now, we do not know who Mrs. Bonds’ Peter 1749 was, but if the date of birth is correct, it could not have been the Peter Arnett of the Anson County census records. It’s possible that the Peter of the census records was the son of Peter 1749, if Peter, Jr. was born when Peter, Sr. was only 20 years old, but we have discovered no other Peter Arnett in the known historical record who was born around 1749. In 1796, a Peter Arnett received 114 Acres on Lynches Creek in Cheraw District, SC, per Joe Arnett via Arnett Forest. Cheraw District was just across the state line from Anson County, NC, where Peter Arnett received land grants in 1814, 1816, and 1820, so we believe they were all the same man, Peter 1768 ARNETT. He was married to Sarah, last name unknown. Peter’s last recorded location was on Brown Creek, where Sarah 1766 ARNETT Baker and husband, William BAKER were located.

Known children of Peter 1768 ARNETT and Sarah are:

1.     Jesse ARNETT 1796 Anson County, NC - 1886 Randolph County, Alabama. He married Martha Jane ROBERTSON 1798-1881 in Randolph County, AL.

Their son Richmond “Rich” Anderson ARNETT 15 Feb 1829 Anson County, NC - 1912 Randolph County, NC was the 2XGGF of Robert Weldon ARNETT. Robert has taken a Big Y-700 test at FamilyTreeDNA.com that shows he is a descendant of William 1668.

Walter L. Cullars and Mark Johnston descend from Peter 1768 and Sarah’s son Jesse Thomas ARNETT 30 Jun 1831 Anderson, Anson County, NC - 5 Sep 1908 Randolph County, AL and his wife Sarah Elizabeth HENDRICKS 17 Apr 1834 Farm Hill, Oglethorpe County, GA - 12 Oct 1899, Randolph County. Robert Weldon ARNETT’s Y-DNA ties Walter’s and Mark’s line genetically to William 1668, unless, of course, there is misattributed parentage between Jesse Thomas 1831 and the present. The only way to know for certain that the line is genetically unbroken is for a male Arnett father-line descendant of Jesse Thomas takes a Y-DNA test.

2.     Daniel 1813 ARNETT 1813 Anson County, NC - abt. 1865 in Tishomingo County, MS. He was married twice, first to Sarah Edwards 1812 NC - 1845 Anson County, NC.; and second to Louisa MEDLIN 1833 TN - 1913 Crockett County, TN.

. On Oct 20, 1795, Warrant No. 26 was “entered” in Anson County, NC to survey 100 acres on the west side of Cribs Creek, Anson County, NC for a John Arnett. On May 7, 1796, witnesses for the results of the survey included a David Arnett. A David Arnett is also found in the 1800 Fayetteville, Anson County, NC census; that is, living in the same county that William 1721, Peter 1768 and John 1760 owned property in. Lacking evidence of David’s death in the Battle of Savannah, we believe the David in both documents to be the son of William 1721 and brother of John 1760, William 1767 and Peter 1768. In the 1800 census, that David was 45 years or older, so he was born in 1755 at the latest, so we designate him David 1755. His son was apparently named David, as a David, age 25-44, with presumed wife, age 16-25, and presumed mother, 45+, appear in the 1810 Capt. Moore, Mecklenburg County, NC (next door to Anson County) census. We presume David 1855 to have died in the interim, and have assigned the year of his death as 1805, the midpoint between 1800 and 1810.

As noted above, John 1760 was granted 100 acres in 1774 in Craven County, SC. John 1760 and brother Peter appear in the 1790 census Dobbs County, NC. John has four females in the household. By 1800, John 1760 and wife have returned to Anson County, where both John 1760 ARNETT and David 1755 ARNETT can be found on the 1800 Census Record of Anson County, North Carolina.

John 1760 received a land grant in 1795 in Anson County, but by 1797 the property was recorded in a Sheriff's Auction. John and family were still in Anson County in 1800, but relocated to Screven County GA, shortly thereafter; in 1833, his brother William 1767’s attested to John’s Revolutionary War pension application that John had lived in Screven County “most of [the previous] 30 years.” In 1833 John 1760 was in Decatur County, GA. Prior to his death in (or shortly after) 1840, John 1760 moved back to Screven County, where he appeared on the 1840 Federal Census for District 34, Screven County, GA. He was buried in the old Arnett cemetery outside Sylvania, GA. Today, it is on property belonging to the Waters family. The cemetery has been plowed under, but his gravestone was moved to the Buck Creek United Methodist Church in Sylvania, GA.

Figure 2 Buck Creek United Methodist Church, Sylvania, GA. Photo: Rene Hitt 2023

John 1760’s children were:

1.     Mary ARNETT was born abt. 1780 Cheraws District, SC and died abt. 1830 Franklin County, AL. We believe she was the unnamed sister of David B. ARNETT described in WWA's “Memoirs” who was married to Sheriff John Weatherford born abt. 1775 Lunenburg, VA and died abt. 1825 in Franklin County, AL.

2.     Massey ARNETT was born in about 1781 in either Cheraws District, South Carolina or Anson County, North Carolina. In 1816 in she married Moses Purser of Mecklenburg County, NC in Wilson County, TN, and died 1851 in Marion County, Alabama. Massey ARNETT Purser was the 3XGGM of Betty Helms, co-author of this paper. Betty has taken an AncestryDNA test.

3.     David B. ARNETT was born 1785 in Craven County, SC. David and wife Rhoda Tabitha CURLEE Arnett left Anson County, North Carolina within a couple of years of their marriage in 1804 or 1805 and lived for a time near her family in Rutherford County, Tennessee. In 1811, he and Rhoda’s brother, Calvin Curlee, were listed in the April 1811 Rutherford County, TN Court Minutes as road hands for Hugh Brawley, who was appointed to oversee the road from “his mill to Carsons.” David’s family moved on to Franklin County, AL where his son William Washington was born in 1823. They moved to Leake County, MS in about 1828, and then on to Polk County, Texas, where David died in 1854. William Washington 1823 ARNETT was David and Rhoda’s youngest son and recounted the story in his “Reminiscences.” David was the GGF of Marion ARNETT and his sister Mary Ellen ARNETT, and 2XGGF of their nephew and co-author of this paper, Mike ARNETT. All three have taken AncestryDNA tests. Marion and Mike have also taken a FamilyTreeDNA Big Y-700 Y-DNA test. Their Y-DNA shows they descend from William 1668.

4.     Rebecca Francis ARNETT was born abt. 1785 in North Carolina according to the 1850 Covington County, AL census. Rebecca married Windal TAYLOR in about 1800. They later made their life in Covington County, Alabama. Rebecca 1785 died in Covington County about 1865, after having raised a large family there.

5.     Emily ARNETT was born abt. 1791 in Anson County, NC and died abt. 1835 in Mecklenburg County, NC. She was married to Jeremiah Purser of Mecklenburg County, NC, brother of Moses Purser.

6.     Dicey McClellan ARNETT was born 1793 in Anson County, North Carlina and died 14 Dec. 1871 in Screven County, GA. She was married to James Azeriah (1802-1880 Screven County, GA) on 8 Nov 1827 in Screven County.

The remaining daughters of John 1760 remain unidentified.

William Washington 1823 ARNETT, in his “Reminiscences, commenced about October 1885” only mentioned two of John 1760’s children: son, David B. 1785 ARNETT and a daughter who married “a Weatherford.” Research revealed the daughter as Mary 1780-1837 and her husband as John William WEATHERFORD 1775-1857. Their son John 1800-1868 must have been very close to David and Rhoda, as Wm Washington said John named him William Washington ARNETT and then named his own son William Washington WEATHERFORD not a year later. As noted above, William Washington stated that David said he was his father John’s only son and he had nine sisters. Other daughters discovered to date are listed above. The mother or mothers of John’s children is/are unknown. William Washington stated his father’s mother’s name was Ann. The names Sletyan and Celita or Celeta Ann appear without source citations in various histories and family trees. Many of those histories and trees also attribute other sons to John 1760, specifically Peter 1790-1757, Timothy 1792-1875 and Robert 1795-1825, again without source citations.

That John had other sons conflicts with William Washington’s “Reminiscences.” We presume William Washington’s father, David, was the source for William Washington’s statement that he (David) was an only son. We therefore accord the statement high reliability, recognizing that it is still a secondary source. We have been unable to find any primary or secondary sources for Peter, Timothy and Robert being John’s sons; neither the 1790 Dobbs County, NC nor the 1800 Anson County, NC censuses have any male children in John 1760’s household. To reconcile the situation, we have tentatively assigned Peter 1790, Timothy 1792 and Robert 1795 as children of John 1760’s brother, William 1767, pending future DNA verification. As noted above, John and William lived near each other in Screven County for “most of” the 30 years preceding 1833. It would have been very easy for researchers—and even their sources, who may or may not have been direct descendants of John or William—to attribute William’s children to John. Future discoveries and DNA analysis may identify the mothers of John and William’s children and provide convincing evidence of parentage for all of them.     

Sarah 1766 ARNETT Baker was born about 1766 and died about 1808 in Anson County, NC. She was identified by Theodocia Baker in her book “Bakers Forever” as “dau of James 1743 Loudoun, VA.” However, Sarah and husband William BAKER lived on Brown Creek, Anson County, NC in close proximity to William 1721, David 1755, Peter 1768, John 1760, leading us to believe she was part of this Arnett family. Their son Peter Baker was born 1792 in Anson County, NC and late 1859 in Walker County, AL. Other children are not listed here. We are seeking descendants of Sarah and William to take a DNA test in order to confirm or refute our hypothesis that she was a child of William 1721.

. William 1767 was likely born in Dorchester County, MD before his family came to South Carolina via Anson, County, NC. He died before 1840, presumably in Screven County, GA. On 20 Feb 1795, he received a Warrant Land Grant for 300 acres. While living in Screven County in 1807, he was a fortunate drawer in the Georgia 1807 Land Lottery, cited by Paul K. Graham. He purchased 160 acres in Screven County in 1813. On 2 Sep 1817, he received another Warrant Land Grant of 500 acres. And in 1819, he purchased another 108 acres in Screven County. The above grants and purchases are found in the “Georgia Colonial and Headright Plat Index” located in the Georgia State Archives.

William 1767’s children were:

1.     Peter ARNETT 1790 Anson County, NC - 9 Nov 1857 Screven County, GA. Married Rebecca “Becky” HAMM 1800 Georgia - 1860 Screven County, GA.

2.     Timothy ARNETTE 1792 Screven County, GA - 1875 in Wayne County, GA. He was married first to Zenia “Zennie” EMMANUEL  1795 -1832; and second to Mary Margaret “Peggy” WILSON 1810 South Carolina - 1889 Wayne County, GA

3.     David ARNETT 1795 Georgia - 1859 Bastrop County, TX. He appears to never have married.

4.     Robert ARNETT 1795 Georgia - 1827 Screven County, GA. His children were:

1.     Annis ARNETT about 1815 Georgia - 1837 (never married)

2.     Jane ARNETT 1819 Georgia – 1840 Screven County, GA, and married Rev. Wilkins Harper Nunnally on 14 Jan 1836.

3.     Mary Ann ARNETT 20 Mar 1826 Screven County, GA – 10 Mar 1866 Screven County, GA. After her sister Jane died in 1840, Mary Ann married Jane’s widower Rev. Wilkins Harper NUNNALLY on 22 Jun 1841 in Screven County, GA. She is the 3XGGM of Rene Hitt.

Robert’s children may have been placed under the guardianship of his father, William 1767, in 1833. The guardianship document identifies the guardian as Dr. William Arnett. We have not discovered evidence that William 1767 was a doctor. If such evidence is presented, we will gladly replace the “may have” with “were.”

In 1777, John 1727 ARNETT died in Prince Frederick’s Parish, Craven County, South Carolina, leaving a will identifying Margaret Arnett as his wife. Research revealed his wife was Margaret NEE? Phillips Arnett. She was also identified as Margaret Arnett in the 1747 Dorchester, MD will of William 1699 ARNETT.  The children named in the 1777 will were:

1.     James ARNETT 1751 - about 1794 Duplin County, NC

2.     Alexander ARNETT 1753- . In 1772, Alexander was listed as having a plat for 100 acres in St. Mark’s Parish according to a note from Joe Arnette, cited in John W. Arnett’s Arnett Forest website. Alexander was in the militia and present at the fall of Charleston, South Carolina. We have not verified that. Alexander last appeared in the historical record on the 1780 census of Prince Frederick’s Parish, George Town District, SC. One of Alexander 1753’s many children, Samuel A. ARNETT b. 1775 Prince Frederick’s Parish, SC relocated to Henry County, Tennessee, where he died 10 Oct 1848. Samuel’s son, Robert Shanes ARNETT 1816-1905 later relocated to and died in Los Angeles County, CA.

3.     Margaret ARNETT 1754,

4.     John ARNETT 1756,

5.     Elizabeth ARNETT 1765 - 19 Jan 1825 Muhlenberg County, KY

6.     Mary 1757 ARNETT 1757 and

7.     Ann 1760 ARNETT 1760.

In 1775, Ann, John, and Mary received 100-acre memorials on Black River (per Joe Arnette via Arnett Forest). In 1775, Ann gave her 100 acres to her brother John 1756.

Having identified the people above, we were able to crack a long-standing mystery. Danna ARNETT Stevens’ family narrative begins with the tale of an Elizabeth Arnett and older brother James “traveling from South Carolina hauling a baby in a wagon because he was too little to walk.” Danna’s father, Charlie ARNETT 1886-1939, and Dr. Alex Arnett 1888-1945, a college professor and North Carolina historian, attempted to identify Elizabeth and James but were unable to do so. After extensive collaboration with Danna, we were finally able to identify:

1.     Elizabeth as Elizabeth 1765 ARNETT Garris born 1765 MD and died 19 Jun 1825 Muhlenberg County, KY, and daughter of John 1727 ARNETT and Margaret NEE? Phillips Arnett;

2.     Her brother James as James 1751 ARNETT, born 1751 Dorchester County, MD and died 1794 Prince Frederick’s Parish, SC; and

3.     The baby as James 1784 ARNETT, born 1784 Prince Frederick’s Parish (formerly Craven County), SC and died Oct 1842 Muhlenberg County, KY, son of James 1751. Baby James’ mother was Deborah NEE? Arnett, born 1765 South Carolina and died 1825 Duplin County, NC. The story of the baby in the wagon occurred after the Revolutionary War on a trip from Prince Frederick’s Parish, SC to Duplin (formerly Dobbs) County, NC. The reason for the trip is still a mystery, but on 22 Oct 1793 in Duplin County, NC, Elizabeth married Sikes GARRIS, born 12 Feb 1762 North Carolina and died 19 Jun 1841 Muhlenberg County, KY.

James 1751 ARNETT, died about 1794 in Duplin County, NC. His son, James 1784, married Hannah 1788 MAGEE (or MCGEHEE) on 17 Sep 1805 in Duplin, NC, where she died in 1815. James 1784 married for the second time on 10 Aug 1815 in Muhlenberg County, KY to Elizabeth WILKINS 1797 Duplin County, NC – 26 Jan 1854 Muhlenberg County, KY, where they made their life together. James was a coal miner and died 1842 in Muhlenberg County, KY. Danna ARNETT Stevens recalled from her father Charlie's and Dr. Alex's research notes that James 1784 ARNETT left a will in Muhlenberg County and made the request that his son, James 1816 ARNETT, also of Muhlenberg County, be left $1 and the dollar was to be “delivered to him in person.” One wonders what the story behind that specific bequest was. Danna has taken a DNA test.

Susan Aldridge's paper clearly links together the Arnettes (Arnetts) of Dorchester County, Maryland together with the Arnettes/Arnetts of Wilkes, Decatur, and Lincoln Counties in Georgia. In turn, the lineage of Walter L. Cullars links together the William 1721 ARNETT family group of Anson County, North Carolina via son Peter 1768 ARNETT of Anson, NC and son Jesse 1796 ARNETT of Randolph County, AL. That linkage is discussed below.

In her paper, Susan Aldridge states:

Moses Stephens and Edward Stephens are probably brothers. Moses may have come first to Wilkes County, GA and may have been at one time in SC, especially during the Revolution in GA was controlled by the Tories. Mary Ann ARNETT Stephens, his daughter-in-law, was born in Maryland about 1769/71. Her husband was John Stephens 1761 Wilkes County, GA - 1844 Fannin County, TX.

. Walter L. Cullars’ parents connect two separate lines of Arnetts/Arnotts from Maryland’s Eastern Shore:

1.     Walter’s mother’s line: William 1699 ARNETT of Dorchester County, MD (wife unknown); through their son Andrew 1718 ARNETT and Anne NEE? Norman Arnett; their son William 1721 ARNETT (wife unknown); their son Peter 1768 ARNETT (wife unknown); and their son and Walter’s 3XGGF, Jesse ARNETT 1796 Anson County, NC – 1886 Randolph County, AL.

2.     Walter’s father’s line: Edward ARNETT|ARNETTE 1730 Maryland’s Eastern Shore - 1783 Abbeville District, SC and Anne SPEARS, through their son William ARNETT 1780 South Carolina or Georgia - ca. 1835 Georgia and his wife; and through their daughter, Mary Ann ARNETT Dallis Cullars 1803 Lincoln County, GA - 12 Feb 1884, Lincoln County, GA. Mary Ann 1803 was Walter’s 4XGreat Aunt by marriage to Isaiah Cullars 1795 Wilkes County, GA - 1865 Lincoln County, GA, the brother of Walter’s 4XGGF Elijah Cullars 1791 Lincoln County, GA - 1839 Georgia.

Using census, probate and other court records, we have identified the following children of Edward 1730 ARNETT|ARNETTE and Ann SPEARS:

1.     Mary Anne ARNETT Stephens 1769-1798

2.     Margaret ARNETTE Anderson 1774-1850

3.     Samuel ARNETT 1779-1834

4.     William ARNETT 1780-1835

5.     Nancy ARNETT Anderson 1781-1848

Mary Ann ARNETT Dallis 1803-1884 of Lincoln County, GA and Isaiah Cullars 1795 Wilkes County, GA - 1865 Lincoln County, GA were married 27 Jan 1839 in Lincoln County. Their marriage ties the Arnetts of Wilkes, Decatur, Lincoln, Screven, and Wayne Counties of Georgia together and links Peter 1768 ARNETT of Anson County, NC to the Arnetts of Georgia. Her first marriage was to Deacon Thomas Dallis, on 1 Dec 1824 Wilkes County, GA.

According to the 1830 Wilkes County, GA census, Nancy ARNETTE Anderson 1781 GA - 1848 Columbia County, GA; Samuel J. Arnett 1779 Wilkes County, GA - about 1834 Wilkes County, GA and wife Ann Bird CATCHINGS Ashmore Arnette 1779 Wilkes County, GA - 1865 Bainbridge, Decatur County, GA; and Samuel’s son, Seaborn J. Arnette 1808 Wilkes County, GA - 1853 Harrison County, TX were living next door to one another.

Some researchers cite without source that Samuel J. ARNETTE married Ellen CULLARS, daughter of Matthew CULLARS 1760-1841, in Lincolnton, Lincoln County, GA. If proven to be true, that would be another connection between Walter’s Cullars line and the Edward 1730 ARNETT|ARNETTE line.

We recently became aware of an Arnott line which appears to have started their American experience in the vicinity of William 1668 ARNETT’s family. The Arnott line’s progenitor appears to be William Arnott of Hog Quarter, Dorchester County, MD. (In context, Hog Quarter appears to be a physical location, possibly the name of the property.) 

It is unclear whether Edward 1730 descended from William 1668’s line or from the Hog Quarter Arnott line and changed the spelling of his name to Arnett. However, until researching Walter L. Cullars’ Arnett connection via his Cullars, line, we had not run across any interaction between the two lines. William 1721 ARNETT and Edward 1730 ARNETT|ARNETTE both started out on Maryland’s Eastern Shore (William 1721 in Talbot and/or Dorchester County, and Edward 1730 in Dorchester County). In the late 1700s, William 1721 was in Anson County, NC and Edward 1730 was in Spartanburg, SC, about 130 miles due west. In the early years after 1800, William 1721’s descendants lived in Screven, Wayne, Glynn and Decatur Counties in Georgia; and Edward 1730’s descendants were in Wilkes, Lincoln and Decatur Counties.

The Arnott line also offers a potential origin for Valentine B. Arnett of Guildford and Stokes Counties, NC, born abt. 1750 probably on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and disappeared from history about 1800 after leaving his family in Stokes County, NC for “up north,” according to his son, Thomas 1791-1877, in his Journal of the Life and Gospel Labors of Thomas Arnett. We have three men in the FTDNA Arnett/Arnott project who appear to descend from Valentine. Their Y-DNA is distinctly different than the Y-DNA of the descendants of William 1668. We are seeking additional autosomal and Y-DNA testers who may descend from any of the referenced people to help sort things out.

Some researchers have suggested that Anne NEE? Norman Arnett and Ann SPEARS were the same person. Anne NEE? Norman was the wife of Andrew 1718 ARNETT. He died in 1769. Mary Arnett was the daughter of Edward 1730 ARNETT and Ann SPEARS, according to Early Georgia Wills and Settlements of Estates, Wilkes County, Volumes 1-2 by Sarah Quinn Smith. If Anne NEE? Norman Arnett and Ann SPEARS were the same woman, Edward 1730 ARNETT married Andrew 1718 ARNETT’s widow.

Other researchers have identified Sarah Glaze as the wife of William 1780 ARNETT, but we cannot confirm this with any certainty. His wife could have been Margaret Glaze b. 21 Dec 1788 in Granville, NC. The Arnettes & Glazes & Cullars had a history of intermarrying. We can say with confidence that in the 1820 Wilkes County, GA census, the oldest female in William 1780’s household was born between 1776 and 1794; and in the 1830 Wilkes census, the oldest female in William 1780’s household was born between 1790 and 1800. Either Margaret 1788 Glaze or Sarah 1787 GLAZE fit the bill.

The folks named in Susan Aldridge’s paper “Arnette, Stephens, Quearns, Sherrill, SPEARS, and Catchings Families of SC and Wilkes County, Georgia” can all be identified and connected together by marriage. Andrew 1718 ARNETT, son of William 1699 ARNETT, was married to Anne NEE? Norman. When Andrew 1718 died in 1769, Edward STEPHENS was the appraiser of his Estate. Edward Stephens and John Stephens were brothers and sons of Moses Stephens. Edward 1730 ARNETTE|ARNETT married Ann SPEARS. Samuel J. 1771 ARNETT, son of Edward 1730 ARNETTE and Ann 1730 SPEARS was first married to Ann Bird 1779 CATCHINGS and second to Ellen CULLARS.  Edward 1774 ARNETTE, Jr. was married to Catherine QUEARNS. Mary Ann 1769 ARNETT, daughter of Edward 1730 ARNETT, was married to John 1761 Stephens.

Many people have confused William ARNETT 1776 Abbeville District, SC - 1873 Greenfield, Center Township, Hancock County, IN with William ARNETT 1785-1835, son of Edward 1730. William 1776’s first wife was Sarah Henderson 1781 Greene County, TN - 1845 Hancock County, IN, married 19 May 1795. His second wife was Catharine Williams 1802-1874, married 20 Nov 1847. William 1776’s birth in Abbeville District argues that he and Edward 1730 are related, but we have been unable to identify his father to date. William 1776 left a will written in 1868 in Hancock County, IN, in which he states:

“That after my death that cheap tombstones be placed on my grave and to the grave of my first wife and after the death of my second wife I desire her body to be buried in a manner corresponding with mine and that the cheap tombstones be placed on her grave." 

His son Shadrick H. Arnett honored his request and placed a plain tombstone on his mother's grave:

By 1840, four lines descending from two of William1699 ARNETT's sons Andrew 1718 and John 1727 and had converged in southwest Kentucky, specifical ly Henry County, TN and Muhlenberg and Graves Counties, KY:

1.     John 1727's daughter Elizabeth ARNETT Garris was in Muhlenberg, KY not later than (NLT) 1800;

2.     James 1784, son of James 1751, was in Muhlenberg County NLT 1815;

3.     Samuel 1775, son of John 1727's son Alexander 1753, arrived in Henry County in the 1820's; and

4.     William Porter 1821 ARNETT, 4XGGS of William 1699 through his son, Andrew 1718. William Porter ARNETT was the son of William Shelton 1787 ARNETT and the grandson of James 1740 of Caswell County North Carolina, who first appears in the historical records in Graves County, KY in the 1840 census.

It’s possible William Porter ARNETT migrated to Graves County because his distant cousins twice removed were in the same area. If not, it's certainly an interesting coincidence that they all wound up close together as that part of America was being settled.

. DNA evidence supports the historical record, and in some cases enables the connection between generations where the record is sparse. In conjunction with the historical record, Y-DNA at FamilyTreeDNA.com testing combined with autosomal DNA testing via Ancestry.com has shown that James Michael “Mike” ARNETT and family members paternal uncle Marion Leslie ARNETT, paternal aunt Mary Ellen Arnett, and brothers Ed and Tom ARNETT; Danna ARNETT Stevens; Rene SMITH Hitt; Betty SUMNER Helms; Robert Weldon ARNETT; James Marion ARNETT; Edward Edgar GRAHAM; David Roger GRAHAM; Greg GRAHAM; Paul Ray ARNETT; Perry Jay ARNETT; and Michael Arnett all descend from William 1699 ARNETT. Byron ROLAND’s and David ARNETT’s Y-DNA shows they and the others above descend from a common ancestor prior to William 1699, presumed to be William 1668 ARNETT. Byron’s and David’s Y-DNA also shows they descend from that common ancestor via separate lines themselves, but we have not yet determined which of William 1668’s other sons those two lines are associated with. We are seeking confirmed or suspected male, paternal-line descendants of John 1698 and Daniel 1702 to take Big Y-700 tests to identify those lines’ Y-DNA signatures. We are also seeking a male, paternal-line descendant of the West Virginia Arnetts to take a Big Y-700 to confirm or refute the reports that they descend from William 1668’s son Thomas 1701 ARNETT.

Our sincerest thanks and gratitude to all Arnett researchers, both past and present, especially those who have researched Maryland in order to family group these folks as they migrated to the Carolinas and Georgia. Thanks also for the many hours spent exploring records in dusty court houses pouring over microfilm in libraries, the many tanks of gas used, and the dollars spent feeding copying machines, all for the purpose of moving the Arnett family into groups as they moved forward into and across America. A special thanks goes to John W. Arnett for his work in the 1990s and early 2000s to create the exhaustive compilation of references to Arnetts, including various spelling differences, he calls the Arnett Forest website (http://www.chbc-lky.org/arnettforest/arnettforest.htm), and for continuing to update it and make it available to the public.

Please consider this paper a work in progress. It is clearly incomplete, as we did not address all the descendant lines of the people identified within. The results are subject to change as more historical documents are found and more people take DNA tests. Any speculation or unsourced material in this paper is meant to propose ideas or starting points for further research and should not be construed to be proven fact. Any individual added to a family group without a source is meant for consideration as a possibility for further research. We seek civil constructive engagement, including challenges, corrections, and especially, additions. Our goal is to come as close to the truth as possible, and our work should be able to withstand scrutiny. While we will politely listen to opinions that are not backed up by evidence and sound logic, we reserve the right not to change anything based on opinions or unsourced tertiary evidence only.

The most current PDF version will be time stamped and posted to the Arnett/Arnott Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/566203087186510 and the FamilyTreeDNA Arnett/Arnott Project’s Activity Feed at https://www.familytreedna.com/groups/arnettarnott/about/news. Please post questions, comments and answers to the Facebook group so they will be accessible to all.