William Nightingale Sandifer ca1760 - 1850 MS
In some of the following records, there may be clues to help determine parents/ancestors of William Nightingale Sandifer (born c1760, died 1850).
I am attaching a map showing the adjoining boundaries of the counties of York County, Elizabeth City County, and Warwick County, Virginia, as they used to be.(Map can be viewed from the ROOTSWEB Sandifer message board.) The map is from a 1907 topographical map (reprinted 1932).Elizabeth City County and Warwick County are now extinct.After a great deal of research of 17th and 18th century land patents, I feel certain thatSandifers, Youngs, etc. were located very near the convergence of these three Virginia counties.There are Sandifer/Sandever/Sandiford (etc.) records in all three counties.
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From Charles Parish Records, York County, Virginia, 1648-1789, Ancestry.com:
Ann Nightingale, b. Jan. 11, 170(9), was the daughter of Charles Nightingale by Ann.
Nightingale Young, b. April 19, 1728, was the son of John Young by Ann.
(This suggests that Ann Nightingale, b. 1709 was the daughter of Charles and Ann Nightingale and that she married John Young before 1728, when she would have been 18 or 19 years old, and they were parents of a son, Nightingale Young.They probably also had other children not shown in the transcribed and published versions of the Charles Parish records.)
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From Wills and Administrations of Elizabeth City County, Virginia 1688-1800, Ancestry.com:
[p. 108] Young, John.Estate appraised by William Smelt, Francis Mallory and Samuel Tompkins.June 17, 1741.Dower allotted the widow Ann Young.Audited by John Lowry, William Parsons and William Allen.July 17, 1745.Book 1737-49, p. 104 & 207.
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From COLONIAL FAMILIES OF YORK COUNTY, VIRGINIA, VOL. 1, BY Christopher DeMarco, Ph.D, Colonial Roots, Lewes, Delaware, 2006, p. 150:
"In the action of trespass between Edward Tabb gent plt and Wm Sandifer Junr and Anne his wife executrix of John Young decd defs, the plt failing to prosecute, ordered that the suit be dismissed and the plt to pay them their costs.{YCWI 1740-1743:242}"
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Apparently, the widow Anne (Nightingale ?) Young married William Sandifer, Junr. by 1743. It seems unlikely she would have been the mother of William Nightingale Sandifer, who was born c1760, as she would have been 51 years old by that time (if my scenario is correct)....but, possibly, either together or separately, this pair were grandparents of William Nightingale Sandifer.
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They and/or their children (his, hers and theirs??), may have gone on toBrunswick/Lunenburg/Mecklenburg County, VA, where a William Sandifer is on the 1748 tithe lists with John Young living with him (perhaps a step-son/step-brother??).The 1749, 1750, 1751, 1752, tithe lists also have John and/or Samuel Young living with William Sandifer (of various spellings).On some of the tithe list, they were next door to Hugh and Thos. Norvil.The 1764 Lunenburg tithe lists show William Sandefur and son, William Jr; James Sandefur and son William (that makes three Williams); Elizabeth Sandefur and son Philip.
Land records show that William Sandifer was located in that part of Lunenburg County (formed out of Brunswick County) that became Mecklenburg County in 1764/65.His 1750 Colonial Patent was for "400 acres on the upper side of Allens Creek."There are quite a few Lunenburg deeds involving Wm Sandifer (or multiple William Sandifers).He was shown either buying, selling, as an adjoining property owner or as a witness.There was a 1761 deed where Samuel Young, William Sandefur and Peter Sandefur were among the witnesses.As early as 1753, Elizabeth Sandifer, wife of William, is shown relinquishing her dower rights.(This seems very likely to be Elizabeth Norvell Sandifer, daughter of Hugh Norvell, per his 1759 Lunenburg County will).
In October 1765, William Sandifer and Elizabeth Sandifer sell 200 acres on the Long Branch of Allens Creek.(Mecklenburg County, Virginia, Deed Book 1, p. 190)
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"Coincidentally", the next year, on October 17, 1766, a survey/plat is recorded for William Sandifer in what becomes Chester County, South Carolina.In 1772, Phillip Sandifer had land surveyed and platted in what became Chester County, SC.William, Phillip and Peter Sandifer continue to show up in Chester County, South Carolina records (as well as other Sandifers, including William Nightingale Sandifer).Phillip, Peter, and Abraham Norvell Sandifer (middle name spelled out in his 1809 will), as well as others, had South Carolina Rev. War Account Audited files.
So, we have William, Phillip and Peter Sandifer that turn up in Lunenburg/Mecklenburg, Virginia records (associated with "Youngs" that likely connect to Nightingales) up to 1765, and then we have the same names turning up in Chester County, South Carolina records prior to the Revolutionary War.Phillip is a less-common name amongst the early Sandifers, so I think is a flag that says "sit up and take notice."
The 1790 Chester District, SC census has "W. Night Sandifur" (which I think we will all agree is William Nightingale Sandifer), where he is living alone, 1 male over 16 years of age; the 1800 Chester District census with Nightengale Sandiford (with 4 males under ten years).By 1810, he is in Barnwell, County, SC census.Additional Chester, Barnwell and Mississippi land and census records show he went from Chester>Barnwell and on to Mississippi between 1820 and 1824.
Tarney Sandifer Smith
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