**The following information was taken from Rebecca Leach Ddozier's book, "Twelve Northhampton County, North Carolina Families 1650-1850, published by Gateway Press, INC., Baltimore, MD 2004; page 325:
During the 1700s and into the 1800s, the surnames "Stephenson" and Stevenson" and the even shorter versions Stevens" and "Stephens" were used simultaneously in most legal documents found in courthouses both in Virginia and North Carolina. In Northampton Co., NC, the surname "Stephenson" was the spelling that seemed to have survived during the lateter part of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and because of this, "Stephenson" will be used when referring to either of these surnames in this family sketch.
John Stephenson, who was born around the 1640/50s, was from the Upper Parish of the Isle of Wight Co., VA(1). Several Stephenson researchers have said that he was born in England and then came to Virginia at an early age, but this author has not found any information proving or disproving that he came from England or was born in England. John married Elizabeth Edwards, a daughter of Charles and Mary Edwards of isle of Wight Co., VA(2). This marriage was proven by an Isle of Wight deed in which Charles Edward and his wife Mary left 100 acres to their grandson George Stephenson on 24 October 1713(3). That same year Charles and Mary left land to their grandson Charles "Stephens" and stipulated that should Charles die, the land was to go to grandson George "Stephens" or to grandson James Briggs(4). "Stephens" in this instance was referring to the surname "Stephenson."
On 3 April 1680 John bought 150 acres from John Wakefield and his wife Sarah in Isle of Wight Co., VA(5). On 22 September 1682 John was granted 330 acres near Cursrawaugh Swamp in Isle of Wright County(6). He was recorded on the 1704 Quit Rent roll in Isle of Wright County as having 150 acres of land(7). John Stephenson, Sr. wrote his will on 23 November 1726, and it was registered in Isle of Wight County Court on 27 February 1726(8). John named his wife as Elizabeth and his children as John, Abraham, Thomas, Charles, George, Mary, and William Stephenson. Some of John's children and their descendants were later found in several North Carolina counties, including Edgecombe, Johnston, and Northampton. John and Elizabeth's son Abraham Stephenson was the "father" of the Northampton Co., NC Stephenson families that lived in the Conway and Pendleton communities, so this author will follow his family in depth, including brief sketches of John and Elizabeth's other sons.
(1)Valsame, James Mark, "Nimord and Amanda (Johnson) Stephenson of Pleasant Grove Township, Johnston Co., NC, Their Ancestors and Descendants, 1991."(2)Chapman, Blanche Adams, "Wills and administrations of Isle of Wight Co., VA., Vol. II, 1938", p. 79, Will of Charles Edward, in which he named daughters Elizabeth Edwards and Sarah Briggs.
(3)Isle of Wight, Co., VA. Will and Deed Book 2, p. 248.
(4)Ibid., p. 249.
(5)Boddie, John B., "Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight Co., VA.", p 585.
(6)Valsame, James Mark, "Nimord and Amanda (Johnson) Stephenson of Pleasant Grove Township, Johnston Co., NC. Their Ancestors and Descendants, 1991."
(7)Boddie, John B., "Seventeenth Century Isle of Wight Co., VA.," p. 701.
(8)Chapman, Blanche Adams, "Wills and Administrations of Isle of Wight Co., VA., Voll. II," 1938, p. 28.
**The following information was taken from Rebecca Leach Ddozier's book, "Twelve Northhampton County, North Carolina Families 1650-1850, published by Gateway Press, INC., Baltimore, MD 2004; page 343:
Thomas ((John Stephenson(1)), a son of John and Elizabeth Edwards Stephenson, was born in Isle of Wight Co., VA. He witnessed a will for Thomas Dowles on 19 February 1720(111). He bought 100 acres on Seacock Swamp from his brother Abraham Stephenson on 6 December 1725. Thomas witnessed a deed for Nehemiah Joyner and his wife on 16 May 1729 in Isle of Wight Co., VA(112). Around 1749, Isle of Wight County split, and Southampton County was formed. After the formation of Southampton County, several of John and Elizabeth Edwards Stephenson's descendants were found living in Southampton County, including their son, Thomas. Thomas wrote his will 7 Dec 1768, and it was probated on 8 Feb 1770 in Southampton County's Court. He mentioned his wife Ellizabeth and his eight children, Willliam, Esther, Celah, James, Thomas, John Mathew, Jane, Elizabeth Stephenson(113). More research is needed to determine if this Thomas was the son of John and Elizabeth Edwards Stephenson.
(111)Chapman, Blanche Adams, Wills and Administrations of Isle of Wight Co., VA 1647-1800, Book 1-3, 1938, p. 87.
(112)Hopkins, William Lindsey, Isle of Wight Co., VA Deeds 1720-1736 & 1741-1749, p. 33.
(113)Southampton Co., VA WB 2, p. 314.
**The following information was taken from Rebecca Leach Ddozier's book, "Twelve Northhampton County, North Carolina Families 1650-1850, published by Gateway Press, INC., Baltimore, MD 2004; page 341:
Charles ((John Stephenson(1)), a son of John and elizabeth Edwards Stephenson, was born in Isle of Wight Co., VA. Just before his father's death, Charles was found in Bertie Co., NC in 1725, where he was granted a patent of 1280 acres on the north side of the Roanoke River at the mouth of Long Gutt, adjacent to the land of James Castellows(98). This land eventually fell into Northampton County when Bertie County was split in 1741. Charles sold and bought land in Bertie County from 1727 until 1741, when he sold his 1280 acres granted him in 1725(99). Charles's will was recorded with the Secretary of State and in Northampton County during the 1751 November Court session(100). When Charles wrote his will on 4 July 1748, he mentioned his wife Mary and gave to his son Benjamin the 100 acres, which Charles had bought from Samuel Cannady, but he instructed Benjamin that his brother Willilam was to have full use of this land for ten years. He gave to his son George all of his land on the north side of Casiah Road. To his son William, he gave the land where "I now dwell." Charles left his wife Mary 100 acres, land that waws to revert to his son Jesse after his wife's death. H instructed his executors, his osn William and elias Wills, to divide the rest of his estate between the following children: Ellizabeth, Marstha, Jesse, Susannah, and Olive Stephenson(101). In 1755, Charles' wife Mary exchanged with her son Willilam Stephenson her natural lifetime rights in certain properties left to her by her deceased husband for a tract of land on Fishing creek in Edgecombe County(102). It is assumed that Mary moved to Edgecombe County about 1755 and lived there until her death. A search of the Edgecombe County records did not provide a will or an estate record for Mary. The date of her death is unknown. Charles and Mary's children were William, George, Benjamin, eliabeth, Martha, Jesse, Susannah, and Olive Stephenson(103).
(98)Bell, Mary Best, Colonial Bertie Co., NC, Deeds Books A-H, 1720-1757, pp. 67, 169.
(99)Bell, Mary Best, Colonial Beretie Co., NC, Deed Books A-H, 1720-1757, pp. 53, 56, 67, 96, 158.
(100)Bradley, Jr., Stephen E., Early Records of NC, Vol. II: Wills, 1750-1755, p. 97, #503: Charles "Stevenson" will.
(101)Bell, Mary Best, Colonial Bertie Co., NC, Deed Books A-H, 1720-1757, p. 96 -- Samuel Canady was of Edgecombe Co., NC and this land was situated on the north side of the Morratock River in Bertie County. The Morratock River is known as the Roanoke River today.
(102)Northampton Co., NC, DB 2, p. 197.
(103)Bradleyh, Jr. Stephen E., Early Records of NC, Vol. II: Wills, 1750-1755, p. 97, #503: Charles "Stevenson" will.
**The following information was taken from Rebecca Leach Ddozier's book, "Twelve Northhampton County, North Carolina Families 1650-1850, published by Gateway Press, INC., Baltimore, MD 2004; page 342:
George ((John Stephenson(1)), a son of John and Elizabeth Edwards Stephenson, was born in Isle of Wight Co., VA. He was referred to as a "planter." George was living in North Calorlina by 1724 because he received a land grant on 1 February 1725 in Bertie County. The location of George's Bertie County 1725 land grant would eventually become part of Northampton Co., NC when Northampton County was formed in 1741(104). By 1737, George was found buying land in Edgecombe Co., NC. He bought 320 acres of land from John Stewart on 9 January 1737(105). On 20 October 1745, George sold to James Stephenson 375 acres of land located on the sough west side of Fishing Creek(106). On 25 February 1746, he bought 100 acres land on the North side of Fishing Creek between the lands of George Stephenson and Michael Dorman(107). He acquired more land a few years before his death on 26 January 1752 when he bought 140 acres on the south side of the Tar River(108). George wrote his will on 25 June 1753, and it was probated in August Court 1754(109). He named his heirs as Joseph Stephenson, son of brother William Stephenson, Jesse Stephenson, son of brother Charles, and Willliam Stephenson, son of brother Charles Stephenson. He made his nephew William Stephenson his executor. George sold his nephew Joseph land in Edgecombe County in 1749, and this Joseph was found buying and selling land as will as witnessing deeds in that county until about 1758(110).
(104)Stephenson, Charlotte, The Stephenson Reference book, 1973, p. 2.
(105)Hofmann, Margaret M., Abstracts of Deeds, Edgecombe Precinct, Edgecombe County, NC, 1732-1758, p. 21.
(106)Ibid., pl. 207.
(107)Ibid., p. 86.
(108)Ibid., p. 164.
(109)Bradley, jr., Dr. Stephen E., Earlyl Records of NC, Vol VIII, Wills, 1750-1755, p. 96: George Stephenson's will.
(110)Hofmann, Margaret M., Abstracts of Deeds, Edgecombe Precinct, Edgecombe County, NC, 1732-1758, pp. 116, 237.
**The following information was taken from Rebecca Leach Ddozier's book, "Twelve Northhampton County, North Carolina Families 1650-1850, published by Gateway Press, INC., Baltimore, MD 2004; page 340-341:
William ((John Stephenson(1)), son of John and Elizabeth Edwards Stephenson, was born in Isle of Wight Co., VA. A William Stephenson's estate was appraised in Isle of Wight Co., VA on 23 May 1737(96). No wife or children were mentioned in this estate appraisal, and a will has not been located for William. This William is assumed to be the son of John and Elizabeth Edwards Stephenson, and if this assumption is correct, then William was the father of one known son, Joseph Stephenson, who was mentioned in William's brother George Stepheons's Edgecombe Co., NC 1753 will(97). More research is needed to prove William's ancestors.
(96)Valsame, James Mark, Nimrod and Amanda (Johnson) Stephenson of Pleasant Grove Township, Johnston Co., NC., Their Ancestors and Descendants, 1991, pl. 17; Isle of Wight WB 4, pp. 166, 248.
(97)Hofmann, Margaret M., Abstracts of Deeds, Edgecombe Precinct, Edgecombe County, NC, 1732-1758, p. 21: George Stephenson's will.
**The following information was taken from Rebecca Leach Ddozier's book, "Twelve Northhampton County, North Carolina Families 1650-1850, published by Gateway Press, INC., Baltimore, MD 2004; page 343:
Mary ((John Stephenson(1)), a daughter of John and Elizabeth Edwards Stephenson, was born in Isle of Wight Co., VA. No other information is know about Mary.